Can technology increase the productivity of your workforce?
Creating a productive workspace can be difficult today – it’s essential for business but can come with a flurry of challenges including a new range of distractions from the latest phones, apps and social media – so is technology the answer?
These 11 apps can help to increase the productivity of your workforce by making some of the mundane easy to manage, to mental health and beyond:
Visual organisers
Omnifocus 3
Not only does Omnifocus 3 help keep you organised, it manages projects and tasks through using tags to organise across projects. One of the apps best features is its ‘Forecast view’ which helps to calm crazy work schedules by showing both tasks and calendar events to help you to handle your busy days, but it’s only for MAC, iPad and iPhone. (Free, iOS)
Work trackers
TeamViewer
Perfect for business trips, TeamViewer allows you to work from wherever you need. The app provides fast and secure remote access to Windows, Mac and Linux systems to help support clients, colleagues, and friends on the go. You can even arrange web meetings and share whiteboards and folders so you’re never left feeling helpless when you’re out the office. (Free, iOS and Android)
Evernote
Boost productivity by creating easy access to important notes and documents whilst storing images, web pages or audio. With a few lazy app features, Evernote is the app of the future. You can input typed notes or scan handwritten notes if you’re in a hurry. It’s compatible with Siri and can sync across your devices so you have all your information wherever you go in just a few taps. (Free, iOS and Android)
Account overload
LastPass
We’ve all been there when you can’t quite remember the 16-digit password featuring five special characters, three numbers, and a blend of your cat’s name and the street you grew up on. LastPass keeps you protected by generating and saving new, secure passwords so you can spend more time being productive and less time guessing the name of your first pet. (Free, iOS and Android)
Social media masterminds
Buffer
Save time and manage all your social media in one place. Whether you’re running social media for multiple areas or just need to remember to wish your cousin happy birthday, Buffer is the perfect tool. Choose any link, text, picture or video and quickly schedule posts whilst tracking their performance on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+. (Free, iOS and Android)
Staying healthy
Clementine
You can’t be productive without letting yourself be healthy first. Clementine helps you in four key areas: sleep, confidence, de-stress and through mantras. Choose between 20-minute meditation series or just a 4-minute reset for your mind as you begin to notice the difference a healthy outlook can make on your workspace. (Free, iOS)
Headspace
With easy-to-follow techniques by its Buddhist monk founder, Andy Puddicombe, it’s no wonder Headspace is the number one mindfulness app. You can experience the benefits of meditation anytime, anywhere, with guided meditations (from 5 minutes onwards), animations, articles and videos, which can all help with your productivity levels. (Free and in-app purchases, iOS and Android)
Communication station
Slack
It’s like twitter for the workplace, only more productive. Slack helps teams to communicate, connect and collaborate no matter where they are. You can organize your conversations by topics or projects, message or call anyone in your group, and move projects forward by bringing the right people, tools and information you need together. (Free, iOS and Android)
Time Tracking
ATracker
Be more productive in the workplace with ATracker, a simple app which helps you manage your time through measuring your own productivity. Just tap to track and the app will time what you do, creating a range of data so you can see what’s distracting you from what you need to do. With a simple structure but with many advanced functions alongside cross-platform synchronisation, it’s the perfect app to measure business productivity. (Free, iOS and Android)
Focus
How do you maximise energy, stimulate creativity and feel achievement through productivity? Focus lets you know when to focus and when to take a short break. By stopping you from overworking and keeping your mind stimulated, this technology will help productivity in the workplace. (Free, iOS)
